shootingthebreeze’s AchillesBlog

Well, it was always going to be the next step from FWB in the boot ….

I’ve been testing the water a little since my consultant physio suggested I should be rid of the crutches and once at 90 degrees in the boot should be getting into regular footwear ASAP. I’ve managed to get about the 3 storey house barefoot ok for past couple of days so ….

I picked up the silicon inserts from the hospital when last there so slipped those into my chosen boots, walking boot / timberland style with a bit of padded ankle support and plenty of grip underfoot. Funny how weird it felt putting on a PAIR of boots !!

I took myself for a short walk up and down the street and as I’ve read elsewhere, it was a slow slow walk. Trying to walk normally is the goal but I reckon I still hobbled like an old fella …. Do I care, right now no I don’t ….. If I’m still this slow and decrepid looking in a couple of weeks then maybe

Slow and steady, and with physio kicking in this week, now I feel as though I’m making some progress. Guess I should test how it feels driving in my boots ….

Not particularly extreme but certainly most welcome …. I got some much needed time on the water yesterday thanks to the guys at the local watersports centre. They set me up a Pico dinghy on the lagoon to go play on for an hour or so

Actually feel like making headway at last, although still taking things real easy with respect to the AT itself.

Getting more time with the boot off now, just laid on the bed or sofa, but allows me to do ROM and stretching physio without any pressure.

Have an appointment tomorrow with the consultant physio …. Fingers crossed he’s impressed by my recovery intent and progress and sorts me a suitable rehab program

Scheduled hospital outpatient visit, one of the wedges removed and boot refitted. Could have done that myself at home to be honest and saved myself a 35 mile round trip.
To get my money’s worth I got the nurse to check the wound as I’m still rejecting sutres so not healed up. I don’t know what part of me explaining that I don’t heal well with their disolvable stitches is the problem, the old fashioned needle and thread and pull it out when done works fine!! Got to love the fact they all know better regarding your body?!?
Anyway, minor grumbles about the wound being slow to heal aside, all seems to be coming along ok.
No adverse effects from losing a wedge, and I’m back to see nursey on Friday about the wound. Hopefully the antibiotic cream coupled with the prescribed medicines will help sort that ASAP and I can start getting wet again with some kayak action or even get out in a dinghy from the centre

Started the day with a pre-scheduled visit to the nurse to check my wound. She had got swab tests back and said there were some traces of an infection so wrote me a prescription for some anti-biotics. On closer inspection where the wound was weeping we saw a bit of sutre making a bit for escape so we gave it a helping hand. It looks like my body was rejecting the internal dissolvable stitching. Other than that it all cleaned up ok, and was duly re-dressed.
Bit of a comedy getting prescription at the pharmacist over the road as didnt have any in, but would have some late afternoon. Suggested I could walk to other end of town and get some at the other chemists before thinking better of that & phoning through only to find they didn’t have any either!!! Glad I didn’t walk there to find out!!
Anyway, popped in after work and sorted it …

So …. This evening I went off to the gym to give my program it’s first proper go.
Warmed up on the recumbent bike for 5 minutes with the ATR foot resting on the pedal (I removed the footstrap). Nothing exciting, gentle pace, low resistance, just to get a bit warm.
Next up a circuit of the weights machines, alternating arms, legs, arms, legs and then arms. Nothing too heavy, but mixed exercises on each machine giving reps of 10 x each exercise per machine.
After that comes the bit that kind of makes sense to me, the Concept2 rower. I did a 1000m before but my wife had suggested that I look at doing 2000m so that’s what I did. Clipped in the left foot, and just placed the right (ATR) foot on the floor and set it up. Previously I’d managed 4′29″ for 1000m so set myself a 9′ target for the 2000m, and was well pleased to nail it in 8′48″
After catching my breath I repeated my weights circuit, and then warmed down on the recumbent bike for another 5mins before doing some stretches and heading home.
Got home, had a wash down, boot off and foot up with ice pack below ATR chilling ….
Feeling pleased with being able to do something, however the autumn winds have returned and everyone else is out there giving it the beans ….. Fair play to them, I’d be doing exactly the same given the option

Looking forward to news regarding the physio …. Be cool to be able to do something for the tendon too

Keep on keeping on

Big thanks to my wife, the gym instructor, for sorting me out a sensible and considered exercise program at the gym

She took me up to the gym yesterday while our eldest babysat, and sorted me out a program that will work for me and also keep the wounded Achilles safe.

The basic idea was to do some upper body stuff, but me being me wanted some cardio and also some lower body stuff too.

I’m in a boot, so the ankle doesn’t bend which limits options, and as I’m technically non-weight bearing (partial weight bearing in reality as shadow walking with crutches, but also able to get about the house sans crutches in the boot without worry or pain).

In summary, my program involves:

Warm up - 5 mins on recumbent bike, low resistance, heel of boot light on pedal, majority of work via the good leg (I unclipped the footstrap so my injured foot wasn’t fixed)

After warm, I alternate between upper and lower weights. Upper body weights lower than normal to ensure not using legs to push, emphasis on repetitions and control. The leg exercises I use lower weights and the injured leg just shadows. There are no leg exercises on my program involving pushing with the legs via feet so maintains the NWB safety factor. I do a round of these weights, then I get to do the Concept 2 rower

Initially I just did 1000m (4 min 29 secs for anyone interested) and this worked with good foot clipped in, injured one with boot on the floor alongside and not pushing at all. For me being able to do sensible cardio made the session, and the plan is to do 2000m in future as more appropriate to my needs

Following rower, do a repeat round of weights, and then warm down with the bike before stretching and return to base.

Going to see how this works out, planning to do it 3 times a week but going to build up to that while giving Achilles some time to heal so will go once again in the week, then I’m away at weekend with my daughter and the rest of her windsurfing team at the National Champions Cup event they qualified for (there’s supposed to be a gym at the hotel so maybe I’ll do something there), but the following week I’ll bump it up, and then the one after settle on the 3 times p/w.

Being honest, my gym is normally the sea, and I really don’t enjoy the indoors machine driven exercise world, but I left the gym really satisfied. Maybe it’ll fill a void and also benefit me coming out the other end of this rehab so I can return to sport fitter than I would if I just rested as per doctors orders!!

Having read lots of people posting about benefits of ice after exercise, we took the opportunity to remove the boot (so the missus could wash the liner) and I chilled for a bit watching tv with a cold pack pillow for my bare foot I felt pretty good about myself …. Exercise and then boot free chilling, felt almost normal. Didn’t move from the bed, not until back in the freshly washed boot, and after changing the dressing for a fresh one.

The wound is a little slow to heal, but it is healing. Another good reason not to push too hard too soon with the gym.

All in all, a successful weekend and for the first time it felt like real progress ….

Everyone is different

My 6 year old daughter starting out on her own windsurfing adventure:)

Quite an uneventful week at work, achillles wise at least.
Driving the ’shed’ is fine, enjoying some independence again
I saw the nurse Friday morning to get wound re-dressed as had weeped slightly. Nurse took a swab to get checked to make sure infection free. She gave me some spare dressings too so I could change as required.

All that is pretty mundane, but today saw my 6 year old daughter follow in her big sister’s footsteps
In fairness, she’s younger than her sisters when they started but that’s not something that’ll hold her back. Looks like she has the bug for sure

Really proud moment ….